Garmin has introduced the successor to the G1000 integrated flight deck, the G1000 NXi.
The G1000 NXi incorporates features such as wireless cockpit connectivity, including wireless aviation database updates using Garmin Flight Stream, enhanced situational awareness with SurfaceWatch, visual approaches, map overlay on the HSI and more, according to company officials.
Deliveries are expected to begin in February as the FAA has granted Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) approval for the G1000 NXi integrated flight deck in the King Air 200. Approval for the King Air 300/350 aircraft models are expected within the coming weeks, Garmin officials said.
“Garmin’s co-founders Gary Burrell and Dr. Min Kao had a vision to develop an intuitive and highly advanced integrated avionics system for general aviation aircraft, which became the G1000 integrated flight deck and today, over 16,000 of these systems are flying worldwide,” said Carl Wolf, vice president of aviation marketing and sales. “Building on its success, we’re excited to introduce the G1000 NXi, a faster, modernized and lighter avionics suite with a superior feature set that will carry on the lineage and achieved level of distinction that pilots and aircraft owners have come to associate with a Garmin integrated flight deck.”
G1000 NXi on the surface
The G1000 NXi system incorporates modern processing power that supports faster map rendering and smoother panning throughout the displays, company officials note.
Saving time in the cockpit, the displays initialize within seconds after start-up, providing immediate access to frequencies, flight plan data and more.
The G1000 NXi system also incorporates contemporary animations, modernized design for improved readability and new LED back-lighting, offering increased display brightness and clarity, reduced power consumption, as well as improved dimming performance, company officials note.
Next generation
Connext wireless cockpit connectivity unlocks more capabilities from within the G1000 NXi integrated flight deck. Available as an option, Flight Stream 510 enables Database Concierge, the wireless transfer of aviation databases from the Garmin Pilot app on a mobile device to the G1000 NXi system.
Flight Stream 510 also supports two-way flight plan transfer, the sharing of traffic, weather, GPS information, back-up attitude information and more, between the G1000 NXi and compatible mobile devices running Garmin Pilot or ForeFlight mobile.
The D2 Bravo and D2 Bravo Titanium aviator watches also sync with the Garmin Pilot app to ensure flight plan data matches throughout the cockpit.
Visual approaches integrated within the G1000 NXi system offer pilots safety-enhancing guidance in visual flight conditions based on a three-degree glideslope from the threshold of the runway. Pilots can select the runway for which they have been cleared to land, set customized minimums, select vectors or straight-in for the final approach intercept and fly a visual approach coupled with the autopilot.
Geographical map overlay within the HSI is available on the primary flight display (PFD), which also supports the display of NEXRAD, FIS-B weather, weather radar, SafeTaxi airport diagrams, traffic, terrain and more.
For example, pilots can display SafeTaxi on the HSI map while preparing flight plan information on the multi-function display (MFD) or simultaneously display NEXRAD radar and traffic on the HSI map and view a variety of other SiriusXM aviation weather products on the MFD such as lightning, storm cells and more.
Aiding in situational awareness, optional SurfaceWatch runway monitoring technology provides visual and aural cues to help prevent pilots from taking off and landing on a taxiway, on a runway that is too short or on the wrong runway based on performance data entered during preflight. Visual and audible runway distance remaining annunciations are also available, which provides aural callouts beginning at 5,000 feet through 500 feet.
G1000 NXi equipped-aircraft are rule-compliant to meet FAA and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) requirements.
The G1000 NXi also supports the display of various ADS-B In benefits, including traffic and subscription-free weather. FIS-B weather products include: NEXRAD, METARs, TAFs, PIREPs, winds and temperatures aloft, NOTAMs, AIRMETs and SIGMETs.
Exclusive traffic features such as Garmin’s patented TargetTrend and TerminalTraffic further enhance the traffic picture, company officials said.
TargetTrend provides pilots with a more intuitive method of judging target trajectories and closure rates, while TerminalTraffic displays a comprehensive picture of ADS-B-equipped aircraft and ground vehicles throughout the airport environment.
The G1000 NXi integrated flight deck also supports additional features:
- Advanced Doppler weather radar capabilities, including ground clutter suppression and turbulence detection as options.
- COMM frequency identification displays the station ID, as well as frequency type.
- Display of sectional charts, as well as IFR low/high enroute charts on the MFD.
- NEXRAD weather radar imagery can be overlaid on the moving map and animated on the MFD, as well as the HSI map.
- Vertical Situation Display (VSD) incorporates terrain profile view on the MFD, taking into consideration the active flight plan, altitude constraints and winds aloft.
- Pilots can preview departure and arrival procedures on the MFD prior to loading and activating the procedures.
- Pilots can optionally overlay European Visual Reporting Points (VRPs) on the moving map, as VRPs are standard within the navigation database.
- Three-color terrain shading incorporates green, yellow and red contouring, which depicts the aircraft is 2,000, 1,000 and 100 feet above ground level (AGL).
- Aircraft maintenance personnel experience faster system software upgrades and streamlined equipment replacement.
King Air
For new installations, the G1000 NXi integrated flight deck is estimated to provide a weight savings of 250 pounds or more in King Air aircraft, allowing additional baggage, passenger and/or fuel load flexibility.
New G1000 NXi installations also use a new, fully integrated and lightweight air data and attitude heading reference system (ADAHRS), streamlining the upgrade process.
King Air owners and operators with an existing G1000 integrated flight deck can upgrade to the G1000 NXi with minimal aircraft down time and disruption of the panel as the displays preserve the same footprint and connector so panel modifications are not required.
The FAA has granted STC approval for the G1000 NXi integrated flight deck in the King Air 200 and approval for the King Air 300/350 is expected within the coming weeks, which will be available in February from select Garmin Authorized Dealers. EASA approval is expected later in 2017.